Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Natural gas hub for Southeastern Europe
Regional energy and transport hub
Located in the northeast of the country, the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is emerging as an energy and transport hub for Southeast Europe.
Sitting amid major rail, road, and pipeline networks in northern Greece, the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace offers excellent support infrastructure for industrial growth.
Two major, trans-border natural gas pipelines – the Trans Adriatic Pipeline and the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria – are being developed which, combined with a new LNG facility near the port town of Alexandroupolis, are establishing the region as an energy hub for Southeast Europe. The region is also home to Greece’s only oil production facility in the waters off the town of Kavala.
While it is mainly an agricultural area, the region is also known for its mineral resources – including marble, gold, and silver – and there are indications that Eastern Macedonia and Thrace may harbour unexplored reserves of valuable minerals, like uranium, and rare earths. The long coastline and the northern Aegean islands of Thassos and Samothrace help support tourism with growing investor interest in the region’s further tourism potential.
Key Facts
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Regional energy hub with natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities underway, while being Greece’s only oil- and gas-producing region, with offshore fields near Kavala
Rich in mineral resources including fine marble, gold, silver, and other metals
Ranks 2nd in Greece in production of cow’s milk and 3rd in terms of bovine livestock
Energy
Regional Opportunities
Energy
Mining
Tourism
Site of two transnational pipelines and new natural gas facilities.
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is emerging as an energy hub for Southeast Europe with two major transnational pipelines – the Trans Adriatic Pipeline and the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria – crossing the region and some 500 kilometres of pipeline projects planned. New offshore facilities for the processing of natural gas at the port of Alexandroupolis are in motion. The region is also home to Greek offshore oil production near the town of Kavala and has the 3rd largest installed wind energy capacity, according to the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, with 466 MW in 2019.
Learn more about Energy in Greece
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
In Numbers
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is seeing growing investment activity in energy-related projects.
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€7.166 million
GDP in 2018, in current prices
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€11,90
Per capita GDP in 2018, in current prices
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H2 2022
Expected launch of the FSRU Alexandropoulis’ commercial operations
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3rd
Ranking in terms of installed wind energy capacity in 2019 (HWEA)
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Demographics
Alexandroupolis continues to grow as the economy develops.
The town of Alexandroupolis, the largest town in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, has been growing quickly as the town further develops as a transport hub for northern Greece. Established in the 19th century, the town is one of Greece’s youngest metropolitan districts and emerged as a transport centre following the development of the railroad link with Istanbul. More recently, the development of the Egnatia Odos highway, the airport, and the harbour have seen Alexandroupolis’ population increase further by an estimated 20% in the last decade.
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599,723
Population (2019)
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5.59%
Share of Greek population (2019)
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25.1%
Tertiary Educational Attainment of population aged between 25-64 (2018)
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42.9/km2
Population Density (2018)
Sources: Eurostat, Hellenic Statistical Authority, European Commission, Regional Governments, SETE, Enterprise Greece, and HWEA
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